Study reveals distinct geochemical differences in Eocene fish fossils and surrounding sediment, suggesting selective incorporation during fossilization.
A study of an Eocene fish fossil using portable XRF revealed distinct geochemical differences between the fossil and surrounding sediment. Elements like uranium, yttrium, arsenic, and phosphorus were found only in the fossil, while calcium and iron appeared in both regions. These patterns point to selective elemental incorporation during early fossilization and diagenesis processes. The results highlight XRF's usefulness in verifying fossil authenticity, provenance and understanding the chemical processes during fossilization.
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Pereira et al. (2025) studied this question.
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